The present invention generally relates to suspended ceiling systems and parts therefore, and more particularly to an attachment device uniquely designed to provide an improved connection between members of the ceiling grid framework and points above the suspended ceiling.
Suspended ceilings, extensively used in commercial buildings, typically employ a rectangular grid system that supports lay-in ceiling panels or tiles. The grid is made up of regularly spaced runners intersecting at right angles. The runners are ordinarily in the form of inverted tees. The tees are normally suspended by wires or other hanging mechanisms, and the ceiling panels or tiles rest on the flanges of the tees.
Typically, long tees also known as main runners are supported by wires, and they help to provide the strength necessary to suspend the ceiling grid system. These main runners are normally installed parallel to each other and spaced apart at equal intervals. Shorter cross tees are connected to these main tees to provide the grid in which ceiling panels are laid.
The suspended ceiling products industry has refined the design and manufacture of grid tees and attachment mechanisms to a degree. The continuous efforts for improvement have contributed to the high acceptance of these ceiling systems in the construction industry. Challenges have remained in creating improvements in performance and strength while reducing the costs of labor in installing the grid systems.